The Big Read 2022: War and Peace

2021 was (and still is, for a couple months) the first year of the Big Read, in which hundreds of us read Leo Tolstoy’s famous War & Peace and the pace of one chapter per day.

At over 1,300 pages, it’s one of the longer classics you’ll ever encounter, and yet surprisingly readable. It’s easier than Moby Dick; easier, at times, than Les Miserables. The beauty of Tolstoy is in his relatable characters, his avoidance of easy black and white answers, and, most relevant to today, his wisdom regarding how to live in turbulent, earth-shattering times. How do we relate to others, especially when they aren’t in the same social world as us? How do we view the tides of history when we’ve living in them? Can war and peace really be separated and easily delineated? The questions are as big as they come.

It was such a hit that I’m repeating the whole thing in 2022. Join us in reading one chapter per day over the course of the year (it’ll take you 10-15 minutes a day, max). You’ll get weekly recaps and access to comments, which provide a great community of readers chiming in with their ideas, questions, and hot takes.

Sign up now for $5/month or $50/annually.

In the meantime, tell your friends!